Ratings: Perreault PERFECTION, Niku debut, Hoffman snipes (+)

According to Montreal Canadiens forward Mathieu Perreault, even his wildest dreams couldn’t live up what happened last night.

“You don’t even dream about a moment like (last night),” admitted Perreault after his natural hat-trick gave the Habs a massive 6-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings and blew the roof off of the Bell Centre. “You just dream about being in the NHL and maybe have a chance to play for the Canadiens. And now actually to score a hat-trick in your home building, it’s not even stuff you dream about really. It’s an unbelievable feeling and I’m just trying to take it in as much as I can.”

The man who grew up an hour outside the city in Drummondville was the perfect embodiment of the Habs start to the year. From healthy scratch to hero all in the span of a week. His hat-trick made the building on Avenue Des Canadiens shake in a way it simply hasn’t in almost 600 days.

“When they chanted my name, I mean I had chills on my back,” chuckled Perreault post-game. “It was one of those special moments that you remember for the rest of your life.”

Maybe a special moment like that is enough to break the tension around the team, the fan base and the city. For a few days at least.

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